Side opening unified pod

1. A substrate carrier configured for coupling to a load port of a substrate processing system that includes a processing section having a processing vacuum and where the load port includes a BOLTS interface, the substrate carrier comprising: a shell having shell walls and kinematic coupling features disposed on at least one side wall of the shell walls and being configured to couple the shell with the BOLTS interface of the load port; and an internal volume formed by the shell, the internal volume including substrate supports; wherein the shell includes reinforcing members disposed on the shell, the reinforcing members are configured to reinforce the shell with an exterior of the shell exposed to an atmospheric environment and with the internal volume at the processing vacuum so that the kinematic coupling features provide repeatable coupling of the shell with the BOLTS interface with the internal volume pumped down to the processing vacuum and the exterior of the shell exposed to the atmospheric environment and with the internal volume pumped down to the processing vacuum and the substrate carrier substantially located in an atmospheric environment, where the processing vacuum corresponds to at least one vacuum process from the group of material deposition, ion implantation, etching and lithography, the reinforcing members include reinforcing members that are distinct from the shell walls and the substrate supports, and wherein with the internal volume at the processing vacuum, the repeatable coupling of the shell with the BOLTS interface extends the processing vacuum from the internal volume through the repeatable coupling of the shell with the BOLTS interface to the processing section.

2. The substrate carrier of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing members are integral to sides of the shell.

3. The substrate carrier of claim 1 , wherein the processing vacuum is a processing pressure of the substrate processing system.

4. A substrate processing system comprising: a processing section arranged to hold a processing atmosphere therein; a carrier having a shell forming an internal volume for holding at least one substrate for transport to the processing section, the shell being configured to hold a pumped down pressure within the internal volume where the pumped down pressure is predetermined processing vacuum pressure that is different than an exterior atmosphere outside the substrate processing system; and a front end load port communicably connected to the processing section to isolate the processing atmosphere from the exterior atmosphere, the front end load port having a BOLTS interface and being configured to couple with the carrier to pump down the internal volume of the carrier to the predetermined processing vacuum and to communicably connect the carrier to the processing section, for loading the substrate into the processing section through the front end load port, and the predetermined processing vacuum extends from the internal volume of the carrier through the BOLTS interface to the processing section.

5. The substrate processing system of claim 4 , wherein: the front end load port is configured for allowing access to the processing atmosphere of the processing section through at least one sealable load port opening that is sealable with a load port door, the at least one sealable load port opening being disposed in a load port opening plane; the BOLTS interface is located substantially along and defining the load port opening plane and configured to interface with a side of the carrier on which a carrier opening is located, and where the load port door interfaces with a carrier door; and the BOLTS interface has common kinematic registration features that are common to the load port opening plane and engage the side of the carrier, on which the carrier opening is located, effecting kinematically repeatable positioning of the carrier in at least three perpendicular axes to the BOLTS interface independent of a closure of the load port door.

6. The substrate processing system of claim 5 , wherein the common kinematic registration features are configured to effect a kinematic coupling between the BOLTS interface and the side of the carrier on which the carrier opening is located.

7. The substrate processing system of claim 5 , further comprising a handling system configured to effect registration of the carrier with the common kinematic registration features.

8. The substrate processing system of claim 5 , wherein the BOLTS interface forms a seal with the side of the carrier after contact between the carrier and the BOLTS interface.

9. The substrate processing system of claim 8 , wherein the seal between the side of the carrier and the BOLTS interface seals a shared high vacuum atmosphere between the processing atmosphere and the carrier.

10. The substrate processing system of claim 5 , wherein the carrier door is configured to interface with the load port door after contact between the side of the carrier and the BOLTS interface.

11. The substrate processing system of claim 5 , wherein the BOLTS interface includes a flange that substantially surrounds the at least one sealable load port opening, where the flange is configured to interface with the side of the carrier on which the carrier opening is located.

12. The substrate processing system of claim 5 , wherein the BOLTS interface includes a flange that substantially surrounds the at least one sealable load port opening, where the flange is configured to interface with a carrier flange.

13. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined processing vacuum that extends from the processing section through the at least one sealable load port opening.

14. The substrate processing system of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined vacuum pressure is a pressure of the processing atmosphere.

15. The substrate processing system of claim 4 , wherein the substrate processing system is configured for transporting substrates directly from the carrier to the processing section in a vacuum environment.

16. The substrate processing system of claim 4 , wherein the load port is further configured to introduce a gas into the internal volume for pressurizing the carrier.

17. The substrate processing system of claim 4 , further comprising a carrier station apart from the front end load port, the carrier station being configured to pump down the carrier to the predetermined vacuum pressure or pressurize the carrier through an introduction of gas.

18. The substrate processing system of claim 4 , wherein at least the shell of the carrier is constructed of a metal.

19. The substrate processing system of claim 4 , wherein the shell of the carrier includes reinforcing ribs on one or more sides of the shell.

20. The substrate processing system of claim 4 , further comprising a transport module communicably connecting the load port to the processing section, the transport module comprising an internal passage formed between the carrier and the processing section wherein the internal passage is a substantially contaminant free environment.

21. The substrate processing system of claim 20 , further comprising a movable cart configured to traverse the internal passage and hold substrates for transfer through the transport module.

22. The substrate processing system of claim 21 , wherein the movable cart includes a transfer arm configured to transfer at least one substrate directly between the carrier and the processing section.

23. The substrate processing system of claim 21 , further comprising a transfer module connecting the transport module to the processing section, the transfer module includes a transfer arm configured to hold at least one substrate and to transfer the at least one substrate from the movable cart to the processing section.

24. The substrate processing system of claim 20 , wherein a pressure of the carrier and internal passage are the same as a pressure of the processing section.

25. The substrate processing system of claim 4 , wherein: the carrier is configured to hold at least one substrate in a predetermined substrate plane for transport to the processing section, the carrier having a closable opening on a side of the carrier, the side framing more than one edge of the opening and both the side and the opening being oriented at an angle relative to the substrate plane; and the front end load port comprises registration features to engage the side of the carrier framing the closable opening and effect repeatable positioning of the carrier to the front end load port.

26. The substrate processing system of claim 4 , wherein the carrier comprises a portable gas supply, the portable gas supply being configured to maintain a predetermined pressure within the carrier during transport and/or storage of the carrier.

27. A method comprising: coupling a substrate carrier to a front end load port of a substrate processing system that includes a processing section having a processing vacuum and where the front end load port includes a BOLTS interface; and pumping down an internal volume of the substrate carrier to a predetermined vacuum pressure while one or more exterior surfaces of the substrate carrier are exposed to an atmospheric environment, where the process vacuum extends from an internal volume of the substrate carrier through the BOLTS interface to the processing section.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the predetermined vacuum pressure is a processing pressure of the substrate processing system.

29. The method of claim 27 , further comprising transferring at least one substrate from the substrate carrier to a processing module of the substrate processing system.